Protesting farmers detained in Aligarh for trying to make highway toll plazas toll-free

Dozens of farmers were detained in different parts of Aligarh district on Saturday for trying to make toll plazas on highways toll-free as part of their stir against the Central agri laws, police said.

A large number of protestors at Kurana village under Tappal police station have been taken into police custody and would be kept under detention till 11 pm, officials said.

District Magistrate Chandra Bhushan Singh said that heavy police deployment and patrolling was on in sensitive areas, including at the toll plazas in Gabhana on the GT Road and in Madrak on the Aligarh-Agra state highway.

At the district mandi samiti complex, a large number of Samajwadi Party members and former MLA Rakesh Singh were held while holding a protest, police said.

Police also said that Samajwadi Party leader and former MP Chaudary Brijendra Singh and his supporters were put under house arrest to prevent them from joining the protesting farmers at the mandi samiti complex.